Honey, surprise! We're getting married today....

"I'm the most luckiest man in the world!" declared English-yoga teacher, Marc Mead. He'd better be since he managed to pull off a surprise wedding for his bride, American-yoga teacher Christina Stahis.
I’ve been to all kinds of surprise birthdays but a surprise wedding?!? It’s a fact that every girl's dream is to get married (well, at least, many women) and that being the case, it would be every girl’s dream to arrange her own wedding. I must say that it was a risk for Marc to surprise his bride. However, I actually think its very sweet of him since traditionally it is a woman's role. Maybe what resolved Marc to do it and do it soon is because they are already engaged and in fact, their supposed wedding is set on March 2009 in Palawan with a reception after in the States.
So, on a full moon on December 13, 2008, we all trekked down to Tita’s Phimco beach resort in Nasugbu, Batangas to witness the wedding.
Dinah Salonga and most of the Makati-studio students surreptitiously helped Marc arrange everything from the date, the venue, the dress, flowers, food, and make an appointment with the town mayor to officiate the wedding.
Tessa and I unfortunately didn't see Christina's reaction when she arrived at the resort. Marc told her that they were going to spend a day on the beach with Littal and her husband. Well, we were late because the wedding was moved from 2pm to 4pm, and thus assumed we had time to lunch at Fire Lake, take photos with heartthrob Piolo Pascual who happened to be next door (right photo) and shop at Domicilo.
At least we got to Phimco before the ceremony. When we arrived, the groom and his best man, yoga teacher Ryan, were already in their tux, the bride was hidden and Isa was doing her hair and make-up, the mayor arrived and Dinah was arranging the ceremony, and everyone was all dolled up. Even Tristan who taught the morning class made it on time. Some of the spouses were present and also friends from Singapore who flew in.
By 4ish, Dinah led us to the beach and assembled the entourage for the processional march (members in photo). The bride came out radiant in a white tube dress, a tiara, pearl drop earrings, bouquet and even her elevated flipflops had rhinestones. For an unconventional weddimg, the ceremony had traiditonal elements from the march, to exchange of vows, arrhee (which signifies the groom's pledge of his dedication to the welfare of his wife and children), unity candle, declaration of marriage, introduction of newlyweds, signing of the wedding certificate (the ninongs were Tristan, Tita and Dinah) and of course, the typical pinoy photo op session after the ceremony and the usual throwing of the bouquet and garter (I caught it!) and the speeches during the reception.
Actually he claimed that he'd rather say a poem.. he said "… I happen one day to go to yoga and that took me to LA where I happen to meet someone who helps me be a better version of myself, someone who I am always in awe of... I live 24 hours with my best friend, the most beautiful person I've ever met and I'm lucky enough to say is my wife."
The world is truly a small place. Who would have imagined that Marc from Southend-on-Sea and Christina from Arizona would fall in love seven days after meeting in a Bikram Teacher's Training program in LA in November 2004 and four years later, marry in the Philippines? This is their second term in the Philippines. The first was in 2005. The two will be traveling back to the States to staff in the Fall Teacher Training program and then head off to Australia and New Zealand. Like Marc, I am lucky too, lucky to have learned yoga from the two of them and to witness a truly unique unforgettable wedding of two people who are very much in love.
watch exchange of vows:

first yoga competition in the Philippines

Well, lots of first for me this year. My third 'first' is the first-ever yoga competition in the Philippines called the Philippine Yoga Asana Championship or PYAC (www.philippineyogachampionship.com). The competition was held last Monday at BDO Theater in Makati Avenue. Four bikram studios participated in the event - Tristan's Makati and QC, Joy's Eastwood and Al's Greenhills.
I was actually more into ashtanga before. When I had a rotator cuff problem that wouldn't go away (from Badminton), a friend recommended to do Bikram. She said that the heat will help heal the muscles. Well... since then I've been healed and hooked! i've been sweating out in the 'hot room' for 90-minutes, doing 26 poses twice for the last two years.. I agree with RJ though that the 'competition' is contrapuntal to the philosophy of yoga. i joined the competition to deepen my practice and it was fun training under Marc and Christina Mead.

We were 21 females and 3 men judged according to how well and graceful we executed the five compulsory asanas (or poses)- plus two advance within the timeframe of three minutes. The five compulsory asanas were Standing Head to Knee, Standing Bow, Bow, Rabbit, Stretching and my two optional asanas were- Head Stand and Upward Stretch (right photo).
I'm not surprised that Al, teacher and owner of Greenhills studio, won the male category. For the females, Lintal won! So both will be traveling to Los Angeles to represent the Philippines in Los Angeles. Woohoo!!! As for me, I didn't place, but I'm happy that i did all of the poses without falling and within the specified timeframe and hopefully, inspired peeps in the audience to practice yoga - - be it bikram, ashtanga, hatha, iyengar...

Some post-NY Marathon Stats

Yes I would run a marathon again despite the pain I'm nursing on my left side right now and OD on pain killers last night. I actually empathized with Simon Pegg's character in the movie Run Fat Boy Run who managed to cross the finish line despite odds. One thing for sure, any newbie who plans to run a marathon should train for at least nine months; and please target first half marathons before embarking on this ambitious distance.
Here's some NYM stats: 99%of the 38,356 starters finished the race. Among the fnisheres were two octogenerians the oldest man was 87 year old-Peter Harangozo who finished in 8:00:39 and the oldest women was 83 year old-Yolande Marois who finished in 7:48:46. (Note: According to Doris Nuval, she came out the next day in the Today Show and she said that it was her 56th marathon and 21st in New York). 66% of the finishers were male and 34% female. The top two non-US countries were from Italy with 3,153 finishers and 3,037 from Great Britain (note only 20 from the Philippines).
The event raised more than US$18M for 27 charities and 5,000 runners ran for charity. New York Road Runners Foundation's Team for Kids charity raised over $3.67M for youth health and fitness programs in under-served New York City public schools and Memorial Sloan Kettering's Fred's Team raised over $3.25M for pediatric cancer.
It was the third win for Brit's 32-year old Paula Radcliffe, breaking the tape at 2:23:56 (record in 2007: 2:23:09 and 2004: 2:23:10). The oldest female 'elite' to finish and placed second is 40-year old Russian Ludmila Petrova who set a world masters record of 2:25:42(record in 2000: 2:25:45). Unfortunately, Beijing's Olympic silver medlaist Catherine Nderba from Kenya finished fifth (2:29:14). The top male finisher is Brazilian Marilson Gomes Dos Santos, 2:08:43. To check out results of runners, go to: http://www.ingnycmarathon.com/results/index.php
And lastly, big cheers to the pinoys who qualified for the Boston Marathon - Michael Mesina who finished at 3:12 (1,948th overall)and the Carpo sisters Amanda (3:39) and Leica (3:40). Go Pinoy go!!

Synovium inflammed

thank God that there's nothing seriously wrong with my knee. My sister drove me to Berkeley Ortho to see Dr. Strotz (tel #510 845-3856). He said that my ACL, ligaments, joints are all OK except that there's an inflammation in the synovium.
According to About.com, Synovium is the smooth lining of a joint. Synovium produces synovial fluid, a clear substance that lubricates and nourishes the cartilage and bones inside the joint capsule.
He recommended to REST (off my legs!) and to take 3x ibuprofen tabs per meal or 9 tabs for at least two weeks until the swelling subsides. He also said NOT to engage in any weight-bearing activity for that period. Swimming is okay as long as I don't kick.
Bottom line is, he said that my base training preparation was inadequate for the 26.2 mile distance (or 42-km). He said that minimum of at least 30-miles a week as base (at least 6 months to a year of running) prior to training. Honestly, I only trained after the triathlon in Bali (a week after June 29) plus laid off training for a month due to my heel spur injury. I must admit that I'm no spring chicken that can wing less than 16-weeks of training. I guess it was sheer will power that propeled me to cross that finish line last Sunday.
If I have to do this again, my sister who's a serious biker, said to do periodization and plan properly. And to add weight training to strengthen my quads which will help strengthen my knees. First thing, first.. Let's see how fast my knee heals.

Obama: America's 44th prez

Unbelievable! I'm so happy to be witnessing history as America elects its first African-American president. It was a body slam win with 349 electoral votes (he needed only 270) vs 173 for McCain. I was with my sister Monet and her friends watching - - first Mc Cain's concession speech and then at 10:01 pm, bubbly was served and cars honking outside as Obama was declared president. On the tube, people from coast to coast were dancing, cheering, in tears, (even Oprah was zoomed in Bryant Park in tears) - pure unbridled joy.
this is the highest voter turnout since 1908 - 56% of youth and over 60% women. He started his speech with "If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer," I got a text from Boo in Manila and he said that "now my grandson can be president."
Come January, lets see how O will fare in handling what Bush has left him - Iran/Afganistan wars, financial crisis, global warming.... He emphasized that "This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were...It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice." And calls everyone to "So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other. Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers."

New York Marathon

Boo posted my race results in the office e-Group. He wrote "One of ours made it in New York! Rosan completed the grueling New York Marathon yesterday. here is her time as she went through the various milestones. I say it is quite an achievement, powered by sheer guts and determination on rosan's part as she trained relentlessly for the event even in the face of a problem she has with a heel spur she had to overcome just weeks before she had to leave for new york..."
It was a very humbling experience. I was going well until I injured my left knee at the 30km mark. I remember stepping on a plastic cap (one of the gels) which sort of made me off balance. On the 23nd mile, I was already limping and had to stop at the Medical Unit where one of the doctors wrapped my knee. On the 25th mile, I was handed a foil blanket since it was getting cold. It was a very looong mile, I thought I would end up crawling since walking was becoming unbearable.
The race was indeed DIFFICULT. But I must say, I love the new york crowd who kept cheering us on to continue running offering food, water and even music (bands were playing at every corner).
A volunteer group called Achilles Heels (established in 1983 to encourage disabled people to participate in long-distance running with the gneral public) invited me to walk w them. Keke, from South Africa whose upper left-side is half paralyzed, was doing the marathon with his trainer Dennis (an Achiles Heel volunteer from South Afrca, shoe designer) and an american volunteer called Ernie. Their company really helped. Talking got my mind off the pain and Dennis told me to swing my arms which helped me walk faster. I crossed the finish line arm-in-arm with my adoptive 'team' and other Achilles Heels volunteers.(that's me in purple arm-in-arm in the photo).
Thank God I finished this race!

Event Information:
Event: The ING New York City Marathon
Runner: Rosanna Kristine Cruz
Location Time Pace/mile
5km 0:34:26 11:04
10km 1:11:13 11:27
15km 1:48:00 11:35
20km 2:26:35 11:47
Half-Marathon 2:36:09 11:54
25km 3:12:20 12:22
Mile 16 3:21:33 12:35
Mile 17 3:35:10 12:39
Mile 18 3:52:45 12:55
30km 4:03:56 13:05
Mile 19 4:09:23 13:07
Mile 20 4:24:53 13:14
Mile 21 4:42:06 13:26
35km 4:55:47 13:36
Mile 22 4:59:48 13:37
Mile 23 5:27:05 14:13
Mile 24 5:51:54 14:39
40km 6:13:42 15:02
Mile 25 6:17:02 15:04
Mile 26 6:38:41 15:20
Finish 6:43:21 15:23

#94 in the Poland Springs 5-miles Kick-off race

Despite jet lag and warnings to taper off, I joined the 5-miles (or 8-km) Poland Springs Marathon kick-off race this morning. My bib number was # 94. Man, its a major fluke! I made a mistake of putting my pace down to 6 min per mile; duh - dyslexic--i meant 6 min per kilometer; because of this, I placed in the first corral (#1-999) among champions and elite runners. I loved my spot though because I was next to the stage and saw everyone from Mayor Bloomberg's rep, the Poland Spring (sponsor) exec and an actor who sang the national anthem (and ran too and will run next Sunday).
There were 8,000 runners (40,000 are expected in the marathon). Of course, everyone was overtaking me including the runners with numbers 2000 (2nd coral), 3000 (3rd coral) and so on. I think the Philippines' race organizers should learn from the Americans. The whole 5-mi course was so organized with volunteers cheering us on, visible signs per mile, water stations with lots of water and portalets stationed along the way. I didn't push myself since I'm still jet lagged with the nagging fear that I won't be able to walk after. I should actually be resting and saving my legs for the big day.
Saw Jeremy Pivens in "Speed the Plow" on broadway yesterday afternoon. He plays the same Entourage character in the play - neurotic, fast talking producer. The play just opened Thurs and got raving reviews in the New York Times. Will check out Miller's "All my Sons" sometime this week which stars Lithgow, Wiest and Katie Holmes.

Survived my first 21-km!

I was so surprised that I didn't vomit or crawl to the finish line on October 11, 2008 at the Adidas King of the Road race at the Fort in Taguig. For someone who just started marathon training in July, got injured for a month from over training, then resumed training mid-August - -I am very very happy, thrilled that I completed the 21-km distance (i.e. Fort-Buendia-South Super-Buendia-Heritage Park-Fort), finished in 2 hours 17 mins (note: arrived late and started running 4 mins after flag-off)... and didn't experience any pain that day! Note though that I felt the tightness in the thighs (lactic acid build-up) and some muscle twitches the next day and on the third day after 48-hours, feverish and deadweight. My therapist called it delayed onset of fatigue.
Anyway, a lot of things contributed to this 21-km milestone! First of course is the training. After the heel spur and plantar facitis fiasco that kept me off the track for a month, my coach (Mario Canjas - 0919 657-5124) resumed training slowly. He focused more on endurance and gradual building up the workouts in terms of time instead of mileage. He reduced the training from the previous 6x a week schedule to 5x a week with Sun-Wed as rest days. The weekly workout consisted of 2x speedwork, 2x fartlek and a long run on Saturdays where the length is increased each week by 30 mins. Plus 1x-2x Core training with Pilates instructor Cecile Sicangco. At the last 5km when I felt like I was about to hit the wall, I just tucked in my tummy and remembered her saying to use core muscles.
I still had to contend with my prevailing heel and foot injury and mind you, had additional injuries - like the shin splints on my left leg and patella femoral pain syndrome on my right knee. The plantar actually disappeared when I started wearing my specially moulded orthotics (from Ortho Frey 634-2705). The second factor is therapy. My weekly therapy sessions with Sante's acupuncturist Dr. Butch Ong was increased to 3x a week and also with intuitive nerve therapist Miguel del Prado. Note that Jo the healer left for Russia and found instead Miguel.
Third is nutrition and rest. I started taking Timelab's Endurance Fuel during training and Whey Protein after (both available at Health Express) and the chinese herbs presecribed by Dr. Ong. I also started taking a lot of carbs - pasta and bread. And most of all, sleep. I'm in bed at 10pm!!!
Lets see how I fare in New York on Nov 2!! Wish me luck.

Clark debuts @ Gweilos Bar

The whole family trekked to Gweilos Bar and Restaurant in Legaspi Village, Makati last Monday night to watch my 14-year old nephew Clark and his friend perform. They were the front act in Kitchie Nadal's gig (in photo - moi, the dad, Tita Flor and mom).
When Clark was younger, he joined Kitchie's band and jammed the song "Bulong" in concerts in Taiwan and Alabang. apprently he now competes in his school's Battle of the Bands (i.e. La Salle Zobel). It's actually my first time to see him perform in public. I remember that he used to be nudged and forced to play at home when there were guests. I was in fact shocked that he can belt out a tune! Well, I know he is a soon-to-be guitar legend but didn't know that he can also sing.
My other nephew, his brother, 8-year old Enzo (in the photo) was shy at first when he was called onstage to play the lead of "Smoke in the Water" by Deep Purple and he had to be pulled out later to stop playing to give way to Kitchi's show.
Clark will perform again next Monday on August 25 at 8:30pm in Gweilos Bar.

watch Clark perform:

Rehab madness

Pain is a way of our body reacting from physical stress and telling us to stop and rest. Well, last July 24, after a 5-km warm up, i had to tell my trainer Mario Canjas that my left heel really really hurts. He normally tells me not to baby the pain, mind over matter.. But its the same pain I had before I left for New York which was relieved by following Dr. Bengzon's advise to do RICE - Rest, Ice, Comrpess and Elevate.
This setback is a major disppaointment since I'm training for the New York Marathon (NYM) this November 2008 and I am already doing mileage build up of 30-40 km a week.
I rushed back to Dr. Bengzon. The xray (photo) indicated a heel spur (bone outgrowth) and plantar fascitis and recommended this time, to do rehab. I went to see Dr. Bonifacio Rafanan (Medical City, tel 706-3649) who prescribed daily rehab for two weeks (tens, laser, heat packs, ultrasound, stretches and 20-min eliptical).
This is the third week of not runnig. Dr. Rafanan yesterday confirmed what my dorn therapist (Jo, the healer at 0918-9110035 or contact AWHAI at 753-1468) said - my left leg is LONGER than my right which caused the heel spur, My left leg was trying to compensate the imbalance. Plus, my left hip is higher due to childhood scilosis. He added MORE rehab exercises to address the lower back, hip and strengthen knee, soleus muscles, achiles heel. Total rehab protocol is now two hours long. The good news is, he said I can do the NYM!!! Aside from 3x a week rehab, I can now run on treadmill and hit the oval next week for 30-minutes light jog.
I'm trying to accelerate healing ... Polo-Tri Ria V recommended miracle ortho/acupuncturist Dr. Butch Ong (tel 435-8014) of Sante Center in 7 Masaya St. in Quezon City who has cured several triathletes and also nerve healer Miguel del Prado (who's now in Spain with polo team).
All in all.. I'm doing 3x a week rehab in Medical City, 30-min treadmill everyday, dorn therapy with Jo the healer, pilates with Cecile Sicangco (to strengthen CORE), 2x a week weights with Jocel, lets see how many times with Dr. Ong who I'm seeing on Saturday... this is madness!

The Medicine Man in Bali: Ketut Liyer

Nope, we didn't search far and wide to find Ketut Liyer of the 'Eat, Pray, Love' fame. The author, Elizabeth Gilbert, has made him so famous that almost everyone in Ubud knows him.
His place in Pengosekan is a short drive from our hotel in Monkey Forest Road. There is a sign on the road that says "Ketut Liyer, painter, woord carvings, medicine man." The structure of his home reminded me of a 'hutong' - a quadrangled enclosure, with high stone walls and an entrance gate. Its so deceiving because when you step in, the place is huge. The difference is, it's teemed with several shingled-roof pavillons with small, open terraces and courtyards. We were asked to wait in the second pavillon where across it, is another pavillon where Ketut's and his son's paintings are hanging.
There was already a line when we got to his place. The american girl who was next, brought the book for him to sign. Instead of waiting, we decided to visit the nearby elephant temple called "Goa Gajah".
When we got back, the american girl was seated with Ketut on the terrace of his pavillon. There were two locals patiently waiting. He would first see the tourists and then attend to the locals. After an hour (or maybe less), we were next - first me, then Bettina, last Raeanna. Ketut (man in photo wearing headcloth) read our palms, our nape, and legs. What we found odd was that he gave all three of us the same reading - "you're a traveler, would live to a hundred years old, very smart, heart good, liver good, etc. and very good in bed." I guess he can only go so far with his limited English or maybe he figured out what tourists would like to hear. But he kept saying "I cannot lie, if I lie its bad karma to me." We left amused but a bit skeptical and donated the minimum 200,000 rupiah each (or US$20).
The friend of Raeanna, who is the GM of Amandari recommended another healer called "Pok Chok" (not sure of the spelling) from Negiri Village. So, the next morning, we drove 40 minutes to see him. His home is similar to Ketut's, except that on the left of the entrance gate is an intricately carved door with gold leaf detail and two dressed stone sculptures at the footsteps. There is no sign saying "medicine man" outside his home.
A woman was lying on the floor and the man standing next to her said they're French and have been coming to Bali in the last 30 years. His wife is being treated for depression and swelling of the legs. When they left, I volunteered to be first. He asked me sit infront of him with legs extended outward. He started poking my head, face, neck, and then applied pressure in my collar bone where I screamed with pain and tears started flowing - then he worked down towards my arms and back, finding more unbearable, painful points.
I told him that my left heel hurts (heel spur caused by over training). He used a Y-shaped stick to poke my feet with (right photo) and again, found unbearable, painful points. This time, he kept the pressure much longer, 3-5 minutes per point. He claimed "to remove toxins." Then after the poking, I told him that I've been coughing for more than a week. He stepped out and when he came back, he had a handful of herbs on his hands. He chopped the herbs, then grinded with a mortar and pestle and after, popped everything in his mouth and started chewing the mixture. Afer a few minutes, he told me to close my eyes. I heard him clear his throat and then -pssssshat-! Yes, he spat the mixture on my chest. It felt cold and looked like pesto sauce. He covered my chest with clear saran wrap.
When it was Raeanna's turn he looked at her and said "nothing wrong" and she quickly pointed to her heel (plantar fasciatis). Again, with the Y-stick, he poked her feet and said that the cause is lymph node in her lower back which left a pool of sweat in the area. He gave her a handful of herbs to apply regularly on her back. When it was Bettina's turn, she didn't say a thing. He told her to sit and then, started poking her head down to her arms. His diagnosis was neck and lower back problem. He then asked her to lie down and started working on her feet and solar plexus area. At this time, a crowd was building up - a group of five japanese seated themselves at the end of the mat and four caucasians scattered around the courtyard. I don't think he expects any donation because he didn't even check the amount that we put in the envelope. When we left, he was already talking to the japanese group.
Back in Ubud, the locals knew I've been to a medicine man. They would point to my chest and say 'medicine'. Yes, Pok Chok's healing seemed to work. The cough subsided and I'm now back to running again. Lets see about Ketut's reading... (photo shows me and the girls, note chest-splat covered with saran wrap, enjoying the Babi Guling in Ibu Oka).

First Triathlon in Bali

I've been training for ths event ever since Euan Marshall (second from left in photo) announced last December that he was getting married to Margaret Hernandez in Bali. He actually set the date for September but moved it to July perhaps to coincide with the Annual MRA Bali International Triathlon event? Nevertheless, we - the groom, Raeanna and Glen Cranberry - decided why not join the race?
Jet lag and all, I found myself driving around Nusa Dua and Uluwatu with Euan and Glen at 3pm on June 28 (Saturday), surveying the bike route. We then proceeded to pick up our race packet at the Four Seasons' Coconut Grove and joined the briefing. Raeanna was there already and her bike was being assembled at the mechanic's tent. I was getting nervous because I didn't train while I was in New York (that's one week off); after driving through the steep hills, Euan repeatedly kept saying like a mantra that he didn't train enough and will do the relay instead; and lastly, my bike was arriving (c/o Bettina) at 8pm and I don't remember what Rene of Bike King said while he was packing my bike. Luckily, I was able to convince one of the mechanics to come to the hotel at 8:30pm to assemble my bike.

The next day, we were at Four Season's around 6am. The transition area was divided into two rows- left for men and right for women, and further divided into age groups with the 16-20 year olds in front. There were 185 participants and everybody seemed to be excited, stretching - they looked prepared and ready. By 6:45am and after downing two Gu-gels, we were herded to the beach. More than half were already in the water, braving the 1-2 ft waves.
When the horn sounded off, I let the gung-ho pros swim first lest I get run over. The swim was longer than 1.5km, it was a 2.2-km in ice cold murky, jelly fish infested Jimbaran Bay. There were paddle boarders deployed which made it easy to spot the swim course. It took me an 1:16 to swim (the fastest was Australian Pro Luke McKenzie at 27 mins).
The bike ride was tougher than hills of Subic Bay. It was a scenic 40-km ride but through 2-lane traffic and mostly all uphills until the University area which was a short downhill ride to Jimbaran. Biking is my waterloo. It took me 2:28 to ride (vs 1:03 of McKenzie). I’m glad I changed my bike’s crankset to a ‘compact’ one before leaving so managed the steep uphill assaults.
When I got to the transition area, I met Robin, a 56-year old silver-haired athlete from Darwin who just finished the race in 3-hours. I guess I looked knackered because she said in her sweet voice "honey, you don't have to finish the race. it was a difficult swim and bike. you've done enough." Found out later on, that she qualified for Kona ironman and Bali was a 'warm up' for an iron man event the following Sunday.
I acutally followed her advise and started taking photos, talking, and eating. My polar watch indicated a time lap of 20 minutes. As I was about to cross the street to the banquet area. I saw Raeanna coming in from the bike, she forced me to finish the race. Actually, she yelled at me for not running. I was flip flopping and quit twice. It took me 1:14 to run the flats of Jimbaran (vs McKenzie's 37 mins) and I think I was one of the last few who crossed the finished line. Euan, tbe one who didn't train enough, finished in 3:31 and Glen in 3:52. But its not their first time. Raeanna, the one who forced me to finish, missed the turn and didn't complete 10km. Well, I'm glad I listened to her and finished because believe it or not, I won in my age group! I won a trophy and a dinner for two. Not bad for a first timer. Next on the list is the New York marathon this November 2... Hmmm... that's four months from now, 42-km distance and in cold weather...

celeb sighting in New Yawk

My first day in New York last June 19 found me walking up to the Lulu Lemon outlet in the upper west side. I'm a fan of this Canadian-wear especially for yoga. As I was queueing to pay, I was intrigued by the guy behind me. First, he was the only guy in the store (note: for me Lulu Lemon, is a female store --well, I guess in Manila). Second he was wearing a leather jacket and it was quite hot outside. I gazed down to check his merchandise - he had in his arms several boxes of boxers shorts stacked together (mental note that Lulu Lemon carried boxers).. then looked up again at his face and stared since he really looked familiar... then, the boxes that he was trying to balance fell on the floor. That's when I realized it was Lawrence Fishburne! Hello! Gosh, didn't even help him collect his boxes. I was more like hyperventillating; more star struck. Dumb. Should have gathered up the courage to talk to him or at least have a picture taken with him. I'm sure that he wouldn't mind since he spent some time in the Philippines filming Apocalypse Now. He played the 17-year old boy Clear Miller in the movie. I could also say that am a fan of Morpheus, etc. He's the star in the one-man broadway show called "Thurgod" (photo taken on West 45th St.).

Other celeb sightings but onstage were Marisa Tomei in "Top Girls"; but missed Tony winner Deanna Dunagan in "August: Osage County".

must've mishap to be a bike warrior

Major reality check yesterday! Raeanna and I decided to simulate the upcoming Tri-event this weekend in Subic by doing the sprint distance swim-bike-run yesterday. It was pathetic! We did the whole thing in 4 hours!!! Well, it's a bit of an exaggeration… minus the mishaps and loooong transition times, maybe the total time is three hours (?).
We started off with the swim with coach Ria Langit present at Polo Club. We finished the 750m leg in 22:47 and Rae timed ~26 min. Note that we had to do a 600m warm up swim before the time trial (so the total swim was 1400m). It took some time for us to transition to biking. We said hello to Ninfa and Ricky who joined us for the bike/run leg and then trodded off to the parking lot to switch to bike gear (total of 30mins). When we were finally ready, Rae crossed over a rope and fell on her left side! So, we had to stop and attend to her abrasions (knee, elbow)….
Afterwhich we started our bike ride – entered Flame Tree (South Forbes) and biked the baby hills for 7-8km then crossed to Dasma to North Forbes. At around 10km, I flew off my bike on Cambridge Circle since I didn't see the hump on the left turn. I scraped my left knee (the icky photo) and my right leg has a long chain marking on the calf. We spent another ten minutes or so to do first aid. The scrape was bad and my wound kept bleeding throughout the ride.
We continued biking for another 10km around Dasma. Then headed off to Baby's house where we parked our bikes. She gawked upon seeing the blood trailing down my knee…. We then proceeded to run 5km. Well, more like pretended to run the 5km. At that time, it was already 11am. My right calf was cramping, Rae's heel hurt (she has plantar faciatis) and both Ninfa and Ricky sped off but recounted later that they were dehydrated and decided to drop by a friend house for a cool glass of water. Total run (more like Walk) distance was only 4.75 km.
After the run, we hopped on our bikes to go back to Polo around noon and stopped by the clinic to treat our wounds… we were starving then and dehydrated. It was absolutely hot at 32 degrees!! We're now thinking of doing a relay instead in the upcoming Bali Triathalon this end-June (instead of the individual Olympic) if we don't improve our pathetic time of 3-4 hours. Anyway, we've got warrior scars now so we're officially certified to be tri-candidates?
Ninfa has now posted a poll on who's wound is grosser. She got the bear-claw injury the other weekend in Anilao (right photo) ...

Easter boot camp in Zambales

Yep, this easter we - the running girls Bettina, Ninfa, Raeanna, moi plus Ricky SB - headed off to Zambales for a boot camp training of sorts. Originally, the trip was intended to check out the course in Subic before joining the triathalon sprint event this May. But with the new Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), we decided to trek Pinatubo, and then the plan expanded to include a bike to Pundaquit and then a swim in the new Anwaya Cove where the water is cleaner than Subic Bay.
First day trek to Pinatubo. We left Subic at 6:30am and drove an hour and a half (only 20 min via SCTEX to Clark) to Pinatubo Spa Town (or known as PST) in Barangay Sta. Juliana, in Capas, Tarlac. There are no signs to PST which is located inside a military facility. We booked our 'skyway' tour, a shorter route to the crater lake, with Jovi Balbiro (contact # 0928 781-3556). Our P1750 per pax included two 4x4 jeeps, a guide, a hearty lunch and all the fees. The 4x4 ride was about an hour drive into lahar country, crossing river beds and up a narrow pathway to the 'skyway' parking. From there, its NOT a 40-min trek to the lake; more like an hour. The path starts with a steep incline, downhill then a trek along the river filled with rocks and boulders. There is a stairway leading up to the summit. The view was awesome. It brought me back to its eruption in June 1991, diving in Anilao where the whole place was covered with 3-5in ash and the water was emerald green, about 1-ft viz underwater.... We headed back down at noon. We were lucky that it was unexpectedly cool. The path was shady with lots of fern foliage. At the PST, we enjoyed a relaxing 1.5 hour shiatsu-swedish massage and facial while Rae tried the volcanic ash treatment where she was buried neck down in ash.
Second day bike and concert in Casa San Miguel. We ran 8km in Binictican (Subic) first. On the way to San Antonio, there were lots of pentinents on the road- either flagellating (whipping their raw backs) or carrying a cross - so the 45-min drive took us more than an hour. Our host, artist Plet Bolipata-Borlongan, who now resides with her husband Emong in Casa, set us up in her art studio and served us a yummy seafood fare - seaweed salad, kilawin, crabs, pinakbet and fresh mangoes from her family's orchard. After lunch, we biked first to Pundaquit (Capones beach) then to San Marcelino or a total of 30.43-kms. We made it back in time to shower and listen to the string concert of Haydn's seven last words by the Pundaquit Virtousi. (Note that Casa has a concert every Saturday at 6pm).
Third day swim in Anwaya Cove, a 45-min drive from Subic to Morong, Bataan. Again, the day started with an 8-km run in Binictican before heading out. Anwaya is the new resort project of Ayala Corp. We swam around the outer permiter of the bay.
Last day bike around Subic. We wanted to try out the sprint's course from the boardwalk to Ocean Adventure. However, after driving thru the hilly slopes, we opted for the easy course from Bettina's house in Binictican to the airport. Unfotunately, we walked half-way uphill back home and Bettina called for her driver. So, I guess this means, we're not yet ready to do the sprint this May or even the Triathalon in Bali this July... maybe do another boot camp next month again in Subic?

Le Maroc

It was a toss up between Brazil and Morocco, the only two countries where Filipinos are not required entry visas (except Southeast Asian nations). So, the French protectorate Le Maroc wins - it was an 8-hour flight to Dubai then another 8-hours to Casablanca for the 8-day trip. Yes, it was all rushed rushed and Bettina and I were lucky to get seats on Emirates and able to book a travel agent during the holiday season in LESS than a week.

Our driver 'Rasheed' met us in the airport which was quite chaotic since it was the end of Eid. We headed first to Casablanca to visit the world's second biggest mosque. I was shocked by its size. Completed in 1993 to commemorate the 60th birthday of King Hassan II, it can accommodate 25,000 worshippers and an additional 80,000 in the courtyard. It has the world's tallest minaret at 210-meters. The zellij (mosaic tiles) are from Fes. After paying our respects, we headed to Rabat to check in La Tour Hassan Hoel in 26 Rue Chellah. We had our our first Tagine meal (lamb shank) and Royal couscous here.

The next day was a quick tour of the capital, Rabat. First stop was the mausoleum amd Le Tour Hassan where the the minaret was built by Almohad Sultan Yacoub-al-Mansour in 1195. (Note that the names of the reigning monarch are either Hassan or Mohammed. The current king is called Mohammed VI, who succeeded his father Hassan II when he died in 1999.) Then proceeded to the ancient roman city of Sala Coloni and the Merenid. The place has roman ruins, gardens and lots of storks and well fed, garfield looking cats! The morocans like the Egptians love cats.

From Rabat we headed to Fes but stopped first at Meknes (for lunch) before heading to another Roman City which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The adminsitrative center of Roman Africa called Mauretania Tingitana or now referred to as Volubilis which dates back to third century BC. The area has great mosaics still intact and some columns. From Volubis, we drove through the white city of Moulay Idris, named after the founder, the grandson of the great prophet of Mohammed.

We arrived in Fes in the evening. It was dark and boy, freezing at less than 10 degrees! We checked in at Riad "Jhouara" and enjoyed another feast of moraccaine salad (about 5 dishes), my fav soup of chick peas and noodles (which I first tried in Meknes) and again, royal couscous. Our room was huge at 58 sq m but brrr... too cold. We had the fireplace fired up with cedar wood, the a/c turned to 30 degress plus borrowed the mini-radiator of the owner. The riad or maison d'hotel, is actually a nobleman's home which has been converted into a high end boutique hotel. It doesn't have central heating like most hotels.

Fes is a medieval 11th century walled city (or medina) that has up to this day kept its look - bustling souks, jellabah-clad folks, prayers heard as early as 6am. Ourguide 'Farida' with deep blue eyes was sporting a pink jellabah and pink head scarf to match her outfit. The souks are arranged accordingly - food stuff, shoes, clothes, etc. I saw two stalls literally selling fresh eggs, the hens were caged at the back of their stall and laying eggs!! The medina can be quite confusing with its maze-like narrow alleyway but extremely organized. Each area has a minaret, mosque, absolution fountain, children's center to learn koran, bakery and a bath. We walked wihtin the medina he whole day checking out the sites: Bab Boujlourd, the tannery (the smell can be very offensive), fondouk, mauseleoum, mosques..etc. For dinner, we went outside the medina and enjoyed french cuisine. The next day, Rasheed drove us around. First stop was around the medina - the King's Palace (mind you, its all the same tourist site in every town, shots of its gate), then the Andalucia quarter and then the Jewish quarter. Moroco had a large jewish population which peacefully co-existed with the arabs. Most have moved to Israel though... Then, the chellah before dirving off to the nearby towns of Bahhia where we actually visited a home of one native which was inside a cave. He approached us and said that his father was listed in Lonely Planet and he can take us to his home for some tea. Very enterprising! then drove to Sefrou to see the falls and view the snowcapped alps of the High Atlas Mountains. The latter can be skipped though. We had lunch back in the medina where Bettina and I decided to have something cheap and cheerful and we ventured around the medina on our own. We didn't go far though. Our 4-course dinner was in a fancy riad. I think this time the coucous permanently expanded in my tummy....

We woke up the next day early and headed to Marakesh at 7am! The drive was more than 10 hours south passing through the Riff mountains, middle atlas and then High Atlas. We did a pit stop first at Tifrane, the 'swiss resort' of Moroco. The place is so modern compared to Fes and Rabat and for a second I thought I was in Switzerland. We had lunched around 2pm at the High Atlas. We got to Marakesh about 6 or 7pm and checked in this huge palatial quite tacky 5-star hotel called Royal Agadir. It is located outside the medina. After checking in, we went straight to the famous square - Djamaa el Fna. It was packed with people - residents, local and foreign tourists. Bettina got a bit claustrophobic so decided to dine and chose Argana which had a good view of the square.

We braved the medina on our own the next day armed with the 'reco' list of Tokie. Although much smaller than Fes, the souks had a fare range of prices - from cheap to expensive (like Beldi) Lunch was at the french quarter's Al Fassir, run by all women. Then back to the souk to shop. We headed back to the hotel around 8pm to get ready for new year dinner at the Hotel. Dinner was an 8-course fare which started with foie gras, fish, lobster, duck, sorbet, cheese, salad, cake . The servings were quite huge and alas, no alcohol - no wine, no bubbly.

On Jan 1, we toured Marakesh with a guide "Norah". He started the tour in the 800 year old, 70-meter Koutoubia minaeret, Palais Bahia, Majorelle Garden (where Yves Saint Laurent retired to), temple, lunched at the hip Keshamra on Rue Liberte at the French quarter. After lunch, ventured into the medina in the carpets, herbal, pottery. We got rid of our guide though so we can shop! We noticed that with a guide, the prices are jacked up higher... So, we were back in the medina for our last mintue buys then dined at La paix for final feast and dropped by Comptoir for a drink.

The last day, we headed off to the airport and stayed overnight at pinoy-country Dubai.